Star Forge Titan

The one who was faster than him was Diana, who was so surprised that she looked a little dazed. The short-haired girl quickly leaned forward and held the knife that was originally placed next to the plate in her palm.

Catherine, who was sitting opposite, quickly came over at almost the same time. She raised her hand to press the back of Diana's hand and shook her head at her.

The two girls stopped at the same time.

Feeling the delicate skin on the back of the other person's hand despite being from the lower city, and the pretty face of the short-haired girl close to her that exuded a neutral charm that was both handsome and heroic, the Grand Duchess with her strange blonde haircut felt inexplicably confused and her face flushed slightly.

Not paying attention to the little interaction between the two girls, Ivan ignored Galar's scolding and just glanced at him indifferently.

Instantly, the overwhelming pressure of the magical power contained within one person seemed to descend from an infinitely great height, freezing Galar in place. Despite the apparent disparity in rank between the two, it was Galar, a third-rank Stone Guardian, who began to sweat.

As a third-level transcendent, Galar was confident that he could escape this pressure, but Conrad, his loyal object and best friend, who was so close to the black-haired boy, made him dare not move at all.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense, but Conrad was completely unmoved and just waved his hand lazily.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't explain myself clearly. After all, what I said just now was really simplified over and over again." These words were powerless and even a bit lazy, but they quickly eased the atmosphere in the room.

"So, please listen to me patiently. Well, what I am going to say next is a bit long, so please allow me to pour a glass of wine to moisten your throat first. Please don't mind, my sister." Conrad smacked his lips and picked up the bottle again.

"Hmph, why should I mind?" Catherine glared at him unhappily, let go of Diana's hand, and sat back in her seat with a flushed face.

"Yes, yes, you don't care, you don't care. I don't know who secretly took away all my treasures." Conrad muttered to himself as he filled a glass of wine, then gulped the rosy red wine in his mouth, looking like a drunkard enjoying fine wine.

"Ha, let me continue then."

"Linde has its own national conditions. For thousands of years, the various schools of transcendental thought have always clashed with each other over various issues. Although the situation has eased somewhat over the past century, and we no longer see large-scale life-and-death duels like we did a thousand years ago, and no one is left lying dead in the streets in the middle of the night, there is indeed no faction that can subjugate everyone."

Conrad held the wine glass and shook it slowly. The red wine in the glass seemed like the bright red blood that had flowed from countless duelists over the past millennia. Those life-and-death duels caused by academic disputes were even named after the truth. They were called "Duel for Truth" or simply "Duel of Truth" by the Linde Transcendents.

"After the magical industrial revolution, due to the influx of extraordinary people from all sides, Lind's original school had to unite a little, but the technological explosion brought about by the revolution also caused many unknown small schools to suddenly rise, so the situation has become more unpredictable overall. And their biggest contradiction is which side will decide the universal standardized specifications of the magical industry next." At this point, Conrad couldn't help but sighed tiredly.

He really didn't like to get involved in such trivial matters, but the Carolingian royal family had been the earliest and most influential mediator between the various schools of thought since the founding of the Linde Kingdom a thousand years ago.

"Considering this matter, even the Carolingian royal family can no longer remain neutral. Or to put it more bluntly, we are the most competitive contenders. Therefore, the Carolingian family cannot continue to serve as referees this time."

Hearing this, Ivan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. In his previous life as a player, he hadn't been able to explore such a deep plot, so he only knew that the Youth Magic Car Competition had brought great changes to Linde and selected a group of outstanding young people to join the training program.

But Conrad's words made him feel as if everything was suddenly enlightened. The originally confusing parts of the plot immediately became logical, because there were such huge... benefits hidden in it.

"Fortunately, thanks to my suggestion, the large-scale Truth Duel that was originally expected has not yet broken out. Instead, the upcoming 'Youth Magic Car Competition' will take place."

Conrad curled his lips, recalling how he had painstakingly persuaded all parties to "Don't do it!" "Don't do it!" "At least not right away!" He inexplicably felt the urge to burst into tears.

"Through this competition, the winner can prove his or her huge advantage in magical engineering. In other words, he or she will have a great say in the subsequent specification design. So..." Conrad looked at Ivan, the black-haired boy from a foreign country.

"So, you hope that two people who suddenly appear will help you win the championship?" This time, Alvin showed a genuine smile without any sarcasm.

"Yeah, that's how life is. There's always a big rabbit popping out from the unexpected place." Conrad shrugged.

"Although I have great respect for the old gentlemen of the Royal Society, after experiencing that magic car myself, I must admit that the Royal Society's new generation of high-speed magic cars, that 'monster' taxi, is really quite..."

Recalling his personal experience not long ago, the young emperor, who had the same golden hair as the Grand Duchess, shuddered subconsciously like a big golden-haired dog caught in the rain, and he felt as if his stomach began to twitch violently again.

It took a while for Conrad to utter an adjective.

"violent."

Chapter 123 Troubled Times

Ivan could understand Conrad's disappointment with the Royal Society, and he was secretly pondering the hidden meaning in the other party's words.

The Royal Society is essentially a school of extraordinary people affiliated with the Carolingian royal family, whose members are mostly spellcasters or more pure researchers.

But the Linde Royal Society of this era was corrupt and stubborn, and the word "dull" had almost become the exclusive term for some of the older members of the academic clique.

Fortunately, there is a group of young scholars working hard to change the backward and conservative Royal Society and re-participate in the academic disputes in the pursuit of truth.

According to the plot, Alvin knows that those young people at the grassroots level can eventually change the Royal Lind Society, defeat the corrupt academic cliques, and allow this school to be reborn from the ashes.

Moreover, those outstanding young people invited Diana to join them, and eventually gained the power to set future standards for the magic industry through this Youth Magic Car Competition, allowing the Carolingian Royal School to smoothly rise to become the leader of many extraordinary factions in Linde.

But what does all this have to do with him?

He simply wanted to obtain Linde's cutting-edge technology in magical engineering, so that he could more quickly find the "path" to that possible new power.

However, there are indeed some things that can be discussed, and both sides can get what they need.

While Alvin was lost in thought, Conrad was also looking at the young man in front of him with wild black hair.

Just a few minutes ago, the preliminary investigation report on the other party had been placed before him. There was basically no problem with the other party's identity, and he had recently applied for a long-term residence permit in Linde. He looked exactly like the young foreigners who hoped to become naturalized citizens of Linde in the Central Empire.

At most, there are some doubts about how to enter Linde territory.

But even if this black-haired boy entered the country illegally, so what? His status as a transcendent could completely offset this minor mistake that wouldn't cause him much trouble.

Of course, if Alvin knew what he was thinking, he would probably laugh until his calves cramped.

But Ivan himself would not be surprised by this, because he knew that the government of the Genoa Confederation, which was controlled by merchants and elven economists, was particularly good at intelligence. Not to mention the lady who created fake identities for him and Khayon and this elf half-blood.

That group of elves living far away from the continent has an intelligence agency called "Mockingbird".

As for the internal relationship between the elves and the Genoese Confederation, that is another story...

In short, although it seems ridiculous to just grab a random person from the street and use him as a trump card.

But Conrad believed in his own eyes and even more in his intuition.

It was just like when he was a child and saw his sister, who was several years younger than him, holding the "Linde Code" and grinding her teeth, he realized under the guidance of a strange intuition that pleasing this cousin who had not learned to speak and was even drooling would allow him, who hated becoming an emperor, to live an easy and comfortable life in the future.

At least, before being shaken and vomited by the high-speed magic car, Conrad had already realized that the combination of boy and girl in front of him had a high probability of surpassing those prestigious large schools and winning the championship of this competition!

"It's like being inexplicably involved in a carnival." Alvin suddenly chuckled and sighed.

Hearing his words, Conrad was stunned for a moment, then shrugged and showed the same casual and somewhat unfocused smile.

"Indeed, considering the huge interests hidden behind this race, it may become the most unruly race in Linde's history, just like a carnival with no rules at all."

"The worst car race?" Alvin rubbed his chin and whispered the title that players once gave to this race.

By the way, there is a more direct nickname on the forum - Mali 0 Racing Linde Race (Unlimited Props Mode).

"Let me make it clear in advance that if you want to hire us, the price cannot be too low." Looking at Diana, who was still holding the dinner knife at a loss, the black-haired boy slowly raised his head. The strange golden light shining in his eyes shocked the great Emperor Linde and the Duchess of Loire at the same time.

A bad feeling came over the two of them.

Just when the Demon Prince from Elrond and the Salted Fish Emperor from Lind were negotiating cooperation in the palace.

At the scene of the car accident (correctly), the body of the Filthy Vanguard Foster, which was torn to pieces by Ivan's sword, also welcomed his brothers who came to collect his remains.

"Brother..." Selde stretched out his trembling hands and held up Foster's hideous and angry head. His whole body was shaking violently, and he looked as if he was completely shrouded in sadness.

"Ah, ah!" A choked voice came from the mouth of the second brother of three brothers. He held his brother's head in his arms, and turbid tears flowed down his cheeks. The suppressed wail echoed back and forth in the deserted street.

"The extremely cold ice fields did not separate us, the dry deserts did not separate us, and the endless deep seas did not separate us, but..."

"Brother." The tall Sert patted Serd's shoulder. There was no sadness on his face. His handsome features were as gentle as ever. He just stood there with a calm smile.

Sett seemed to have no sorrow for his eldest brother's death, for he had devoted all his energy and soul to completing the task that the Eternal Wound had given to the three brothers.

"We still have things we must do. My eldest brother must want to see us tear apart the false stability of this city. Besides, this is not a complete separation." The third son, Set, opened his arms as if he wanted to embrace the whole world, with a compassionate expression on his face.

"..." Selde stopped his sad howling. He raised his head and revealed his eyes filled with blood and tears. Dark red blood replaced the tears and slowly dripped from Selde's face, like a monster that had fallen into madness.

"Yes, in the Eternal Wound, in the Eternal Garden of the Father of Love, we shall meet again."

"Then, let us unite again and let our eldest brother's life continue, just as if we were still in our mother's womb." Set knelt beside his eldest brother's body and murmured in a low voice.

The next moment, the air was filled with the horrific sound of flesh being torn.

When the two left the place, Foster's remains were no longer there.

The difference from when they came was that each of the brothers had an extra eye on their faces.

The eyes were one on the left and one on the right, respectively embedded above the left and right eyes of the two men. The bloodshot eyeballs slowly sank into the flesh as they left, and no trace of abnormality could be seen.

The Moulin Rouge in the lower town, once a magnificent place of pleasure, has now turned into a sea of ​​fire.

Expensive curtains embroidered with intricate patterns were wrapped around flames, like the hem of a skirt swaying in the air. The sharp cries were far more unpleasant than the sound of the piano. Countless things that once made people live a life of luxury were now turned into floating ashes, and the noise rose straight up.

The flames from the Moulin Rouge shot up into the sky, lighting up half the sky red, as if even the clouds were on fire.

Ms. Thiolle, wearing a black long dress and a veil, looked as if she was attending a funeral as she stood on a high place, looking at the burning Moulin Rouge from afar.

That was a huge industry she created after she got this face, which took her nearly ten years to build.

In the past ten years, in order to make the Moulin Rouge the most successful entertainment venue, Madame Thioler even personally trained the girls in how to dance, sing and even please men. But now, all of that has been completely consumed by the flames.

But looking at the burning Moulin Rouge, a blush of excitement and delight gradually appeared on Thiol's beautiful and enchanting face under her veil.

"How beautiful! This red is a color I've never seen before. I really should ask someone to paint this scene."

In the lower city, the Ninth Public Security Department, which specializes in dealing with crimes committed by extraordinary people, was also watching the raging fire rising into the sky.

"Ah, in this case, there will probably be no evidence left." Scarlett, acting head of Section 9, frowned and muttered to herself:

"Click", she opened the lid of the brass lighter, and with the slight sound of the grinding wheel rubbing, a flame that was countless times smaller than the fire in the fire shot up and lit the slender ladies' cigarette between Scarlett's lips.

The rising smoke made her face look somewhat unreal, and also concealed the true thoughts of the female agent.

"What a troubled time~"

Chapter 124 Qualifying Round 1

Conrad did not volunteer to become emperor. Others might not understand this, but he really didn't like this position.

Moreover, making the Royal School the master of Linde's many schools would end the chaotic competition among Linde's supernatural schools. It also meant that Conrad himself would become the Magic Emperor, a figure that had only appeared three times in history.

Of course, although this title sounds impressive, it is actually a purely honorary title and is not a truly powerful extraordinary job in itself.

However, just as the emperor himself is not necessarily a strong man, the emperor who can lead the royal school to become the leader of many factions is definitely the strongest among the strong.

Every Magic Emperor that has appeared in history has the ability to independently cause ultimate destructive power equivalent to "Level 1 Absolutely Forbidden Magic".

In other words, if Conrad were to obtain the title of Magic Emperor, he might become the most...

Ivan thought for a moment, trying to find a more appropriate and relatively less unpleasant adjective.

Well, by then, the young man with blond hair in front of me will become the weakest magic emperor in Lind's history.

It seems very interesting~

A malicious smile appeared on the black-haired boy's lips, making him look like he was planning something bad.

Conrad, who was waiting for him to make an offer, couldn't help swallowing his saliva when he saw this, but when he thought of the Lind treasury, which had become increasingly rich in recent years, and the emperor's treasury, which had also been enriched due to the efforts of the Duchess of Loire, he regained his confidence.

"Remuneration is not a problem. As long as you can win the Magic Car Competition, even the special promotion ceremony treasured by the royal family will be no problem." Conrad said generously.

"Oh, really?" Ivan raised his eyebrows.

"What if I want an advance on part of my salary?" As he spoke, he began to think about what was in the Carolingian royal family's treasury that could help him complete the promotion ceremony as soon as possible.

Most of the materials needed to upgrade to an Ash Knight are ancient, and perhaps an ancient family like the Carolingian royal family has corresponding stocks.

Hearing what Ivan said, Catherine, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but widen her eyes, and a combative aura emerged from her body. No matter as a contract manufacturer or as a woman, she was very talented and interested in bargaining!

But before the Duchess could speak, Conrad nodded without hesitation.

"completely fine!"

"..." Hearing her brother's immediate and decisive answer, which was as decisive as a man going to the market to buy vegetables, the Duchess was so angry that her two diamond-shaped ponytails were about to stand up.

She even wanted to reach out and grab the soft flesh on the lower back of this disappointing brother and give him an extremely painful hell spin.

But considering that there were outsiders present, and for the sake of the dignity of the Carolingian royal family, Catherine forced herself to suppress the impulse in her heart and her even more impulsive hands.

Although, having seen the young emperor's graceful running posture, the two people most likely already realized that his true nature was...

In other words, the dignity of the royal family has long been as precarious as a small white flower swaying in the wind.

"Of course, it's not that there are no prerequisites at all." Conrad looked at Ivan with a smile.

Ivan and Diana looked at each other, and the latter nodded at him very slightly.

"Please speak." The black-haired boy raised his hand to signal the other party to continue.

"From what I understand, you are planning to participate in the upcoming final qualifying tournament, right?"

"It is true." Ivan said affirmatively:

"Alright, although companies like Tesla Rotor, General Magic Factory, and Daimler Workshop, which are backed by large factions of transcendents, have mostly already qualified for the Magic Car Competition in other competitions, they will most likely not participate in this one, but..."

Conrad changed the subject:

“Ever heard of the Wright Brothers Workshop?”